Trapped In A Sharing Dilemma

As survivors, we are encouraged to speak out against domestic violence (I scream against it) and share ways we overcame with those who come after us, trying to help them navigate through the pain, trauma, and often unfairness of our legal and justice systems. As a member of numerous private groups on Facebook, safety is often found by sharing the pain and details of the injustices done to victims and survivors alike. Group members feel safe opening up to seek answers and comfort. 

Before I share an experiment I ran on Facebook to test data exposure, I want you to watch this preview of a documentary called, “The Social Dilemma.” It’s on Netflix so for those of you who can, I HIGHLY recommend watching it, especially if you are a heavy social media user. If you have kids, I recommend it even more.

THE FACEBOOK EXPERIMENT

For many, having your lives controlled and your devices and whereabouts constantly monitored is a horrifying reality. What if all those secrets shared in those private Facebook groups got out? 

I decided to run a little experiment on Facebook and see what sort of information they stored about my activity. As a former victim of domestic violence myself, I wanted to see it from the perspective of whether or not an abuser who had gained access to my account could see the activity in the private groups for which I belonged and participated. How much could my abuser see? How much danger could I be in? I started by using these steps from a computer, not a mobile device (you can do this in your own account, but if you think your devices are being tracked, find a different device):

STEP 1: LOG INTO YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

In the upper right corner, you’ll see an upside-down triangle. When you mouse over it, you’ll see the words “Account” come up.

Click on the triangle.

STEP 2: SETTINGS & PRIVACY

Your account navigation will appear. Click on the Settings and Privacy section where I show with the pointer hand.

STEP 3: YOUR FACEBOOK INFORMATION

On the left in your settings menu, click on Your Facebook Information.

STEP 4: DOWNLOAD YOUR INFORMATION

Click the “View” link to the right of “Download Your Information” to see the categories available for download. Hold on to your seats because the next part might (and should) horrify you.

STEP 5: DOWNLOAD YOUR INFORMATION

Choose what files and activity you wish to see. I want you to look carefully at the categories listed. If you can’t read them clearly, around the image is a full list with descriptions (click on the image to see a larger version).

STEP 6: THE ALERTS

When you click “Create File,” your only choices are HTML or JSON which means you don’t get a nice little folder with all your information delivered in a way most users can do anything with, but a file with a way to see what all your activity includes.

  (More info – https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/whatis_json.asp)

You’ll see a message that looks like this…

Then you’ll receive an email that looks like this:

STEP 7: THE WAITING GAME

My confirmation email came and it looked like this:

STEP 8: DOWNLOAD THE FILE

When I logged back into my account, there was a notification that my file was ready for download.

I followed steps 1 – 4 above, then saw where the download was available.

I clicked on the tab labeled, “Available Copies 1” and was prompted to add my password to download the 2.68 GB file (yes, that’s large – too big for your phone).

I also noticed that there was a link where you could just access your information without downloading it, eliminating the whole email alert part, but also making it dangerous for an abuser to gain visibility without you being alerted to the fact they were looking.

When you “Access the Information” without downloading, this is what you see. Pay particular attention to the “Groups” section. When you expand that, it shows every comment, post, like, love… EVERYTHING  done in public groups and CLOSED/PRIVATE GROUPS!

By now you probably guessed why I call this post, “Trapped In A Sharing Dilemma.” We need to share and with COVID keeping us away from being around others, social is the way we’re doing it. But know the risks.

If you’re going to use a social media platform, here are some words of advice:

• Passwords are like underwear. They should never be shared and change them often.
• Set up 2-Factor Authentication for logging into your account. If you do, use a tool like Google Authenticator and not a text message so if your device is being monitored, you can get in without alerting your abuser. (CLICK HERE for set-up instructions)
• Don’t post information on social media that you wouldn’t want to be leaked out. Social media companies are built to make money selling advertising space and your information is their media kit.
• Beware of identifying individuals by name who have not been found guilty in a court of law. Why? Because you are potentially putting yourself in a defamation suit that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars whether you are found guilty or innocent. Read our blog here about defamation suits.
• Seek resources to share that can help you heal, provide legal advice, or help you (and other family/pet members) escape.

Above all, know your risks and make informed decisions accordingly. 

has a great article called, “Using The Internet More Safely” – CLICK HERE to access it.

Do you use WhatsApp? Read this article about BIG changes coming February 8, 2021, and how they also affect your privacy and security.